Centrifugal steam conditioner



Feb.' 7, 1933.

C. G. vHAWLEY CENTRIFUGAL STEAM CONDITIQNER Filed Jan. 51, 1931 2 SheetSFSheet 1 lNVENTOR BY% y ATTORNEYS Fb- 7, 1933.. `cycs. HAwLEY `1,189.6;897

CENTRIFUGAL STEAM connu-mum Filedv Jan. s1, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 7, 1933 UNITED VSTATES PATE NT 'I OFFICE CHARLES GILBERT IIAWLEY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, lAssIeNoRl To CEIiTRIFIx CORPORATION, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION or OHIO CENTRIFUGAL STEAM CONDITIONE'R Application 11n-.dummy ls1, 1931. serial No. 512,721.

This'invention relates to improved means for removing entralned substances such as moisture and sol1ds from steamand l1ke pressure fiuids. The object of the invention is to# provide a non-rotative fiuid departure head or fixture through which the pressure fiuid must find its escape from the pressure vessel or pipe line contalning it; and which, though of non-rotative character, shall effect the centrifugal separation of the entrained suby stances; and, the ejection thereof; utilizing the movement of the pressure fiuid as a means to that end. The more specific Objects of the present invention will appear in detail hereinafter; and, the invention being of a simple kind easily understood from drawings, immediate attention is directed to those drawings, which form part of this specification, wherein the invention is clearlyl set forth.,

In said drawings, Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a steam drum-or like pressure vessel containing steamconditioning or purifying fixtures which embody the present invention ;-'Fig. 2 is a cross section thereof, on the line 2-2 of Fig. l ;-`-Fig. 3 is a similar cross section showing the manner in which the conditioner is modified for use upon a steam exit pipe that passes through the bottom of the drum ;-Fig. 4 is an enlarged top view'of a complete conditioner or fixture of the openv type ;-Fig. 5 is a vertical section thereof on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4;-Fig. 6 isa detail illustrating the manner in which the whirlpromoting tuyre of the fixture is keyed or locked in the body of the conditioner ;-Fig. 7 is a compound horizontal section, one-half upon the line 7-,and one-half upon the line 7a* of Fig. 5 ;-Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the conditioner with its upper part broken. away, the better to disclose the construction ofV its whirl-producing tuyre;-Fig. 9 is a vertical section of a modified form of the invention suited to the incorporation therewith of a whirl-producing tuyre of another` type ;-Fig. 10 is a sectional view thereof on v the line 10-\10 of Fig. 9 ;and, Fig. 11 illustrates one form which the invention may take when adapted for inclusion in pressure fiuid pipe lines, such as steam and gas lines.

Fixtures like those shown in Figs., ift-1:0110,

inclusive, are of the downfiow type, and hence in applying them to the dry pipes or outlet pipes of steam drums 2 andthe like, the are placed upon the upturned ends of suc pipes. The `pipes may lead either laterally or upward Or downward through the shell of the boiler or other ressure vessel, as most convenient, and the fixture embodying this invention provides the avenue through which the pressure fluid moves when departing from the latter. The relation here described is well illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 bythe dry pipe 3 having two upturned ends 4-ef to each of which a centrifugal purifier or conditioner A is applied. The dry pipe5 of Fig, 3 is normally open at its upper-end and there is equipped with the purifier or conditioner. Y

Details of construction will presently be explained and meantime it suffices to state that -the top of the purifier Or fixture is occupied yby an element-called a whirl-promoting tulected in the lower part of the fixture, whence they are then drained or ejected into the lower part of the pressure vessel through open ended drain pipes, suchas the pipes 6.

Considerable energy is exercised and consumed inV whirling the fluid within the fixture as here stated; and, special protective means must be adopted to avoid within the fixture a drop of pressure of a magnitude which would defeat the return or ejection of the separated substancesfrom the base of the fixture. Further means must be adopted' to ensure a minimum drop Ofpressure asbetween the exterior of the pressure vessel and the outlet or dry pipe, for any considerable loss of pressure within the fixturewould be relfiected in a noticeable and objectionable difthrough the fixture',

makes itl diiiicult to prevent the refentrainment 1 are first successfully separated therein. This invention, therefore, centers upon the accomplishment of the purification or conditioning of the outgoing fluid at, little cost of pressure and with an assured collection and I ejection of the centrifugally separatedsubstances, and likewise stresses the sure return of those substances to the bodylof the pressure vessel from' which they were originally 'removed by the outilowing pressure fluid.

This lastmay be ignored to some extent when an automatic trap is available for the external discharge of-the collected substances, but even then it is extremely desirable to provide a fixture, which through entailing little loss of pressure within itself, is capable of promptly and continuously dischargingthe separated-liqu'd or solids or both. These objects are admirably attained in and by the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

A conditioner or fluid purifying fixture of the kind illustrated in Figs. 4 to 8, inclusive,

is characterized` by av substantially cylindri- Yse' cal body portion, a, which contains the smaller` and central downilow nozzle a2 leading from its. bottom a and providing the fluid outlet or orice of the internal separating space a3'. A

The open upper end of the shell or body, a, is internally bored and shouldered to re' ceive and contain the-peripheral ring portion a4 of the whirlLpromoting -tuyre above mentioned. lIn addition to said ring, the tuyre comprises avcircumferential series of tangential or inclined radial blades a5, toether with a central portion or hub a6.

pecifically, the part a4 and a6 are made of of cast metal while the blades "a5 are composed of wrought metal and the ends thereof are embedded in the parts a4 and a6 at the conical member a9 time they are formed in the metal casting mold. Such radially bladed structure is both rigid and rugged, and it provides as many downward leading inclined tuyre openings a5 as. it has blades a5. The combined area of these tuyres'exceeds that of the orifice to -avoid possibility Vof wire drawing the passing vfluid which would result in a positive loss The tuyre is held against ro'-' tary movement in the body, a, as by a lockmg notch and pin a7 and a8, which'however, do not revent the removal of the tuyre from thes ell. Y

' The tuyre is .completed by a thin walled y which occupies the lower end of the hub portion a6, wherein it is se,- cured by a rivet alO. The large diameter of the conev a9 substantially equals that of the orifice a2 and it is positioned axially opposite the same; land is widely spaced therefrom across the separating chamber a3. The area between of the annular opening remaining bowl or chamber a3 Wardly extending end a2l greatly exceeds the area ofthe orifice.

It will at once b e noted floor a is positioned far below the to orifice standpipe or sleeve a2 and t of the at the separating chamber a3 has -a bottom portion ofthe cylindrical wall of the bodyportion,

a. By preference, it is in one piece therewith. The inner periphery all of the lange all is positioned below the top of the part a2 and therewith defines a wide annular opening cl3 at the bottom of the chamber a3.

As best defining its function the portion all will bevreferred to as a whirl damping flange land it plays a most important part both in aiding the separation of entraimnent and in preventing the reentraininent of substances which have once been separated from thepressure luids.

The inner surfaces of portions a and all merge smoothly, sudden shoulders at the juncture thereof being avoided'. By preference, the bottom surface (114 nf the. -separating is curved as here shown and in every'case the. bottom contains the large central opening al3'which encloses the orifice riser or sleeve a2. Y

By preference, though not of necessity, the top .of said riser a2 is marked 'bythe conical or flaring surface o16 which leadsY the purified fluid into the orifice a2. In every case it is preferred that the, exterior of the part a2 shall rises above the inner edge all', of the bowl bottom all, thence pitching downward vand inward to a juncture with the lower part of the riser a2.

The bottom a is marked by the raised shoulder 119 at the base of the riser a2, beneath the opening cl3. tion groove 1120 is thus formed in the outer bottom portion -of the annular cistern al2. The substances which collect.V in the cistern are promply discharged through the hollow elbow or projection L21 which contains the 6. As well shown in Fig. l the lower end 6 of the drain pipe opens into the liquid in the boiler or drum 2.

As indicated in Figs. 8 and 9, the downof the parta2 may be variously shaped to suit its attachment to the particular dry pipe which sup ports the fixture.

Assuming the fixture to. be in position within an active steam boiler, as shown in Fig'.- l, the steam ill enter it bypassing downward through the tangential or an lar tuyres a5' surrounding the hub a6. ts entry to the cylindrical chamber a3 is marked An annular-.retenthe edge of the cone and the edge of the orifice of substances which v 1 that the bottom of present thesurface :L18 which central riser a2 or orifice. The moisture cara2 in the ried by the steam is centrifugally deposited upon the inner surface of the body, a, and further the steam presses against that wall as it whirls downward in the chamber and toward said orifice. The whirl vdamping flange all performs the function of limiting Athe longitudinal freedom of the whirl and accentuating the collection of the moisture inthe bottom corner of the chamber, distant from the outlet orifice. Meantime, the whirling steam, in order toescape, is forced to sweep inwardly in order to reach that outlet; and thus the momentarily collected liquid is urged toward the opening al3 and falls or whirls downward into the cistern cl2. That clstern is constantly drained asl explained; and in this way the collected liquid is prevented from reaching the outletof the fixture. -A's a further precaution the flange al1-'is made to overhang the upper part of the cistern and the partial void created beneath the flange facilitates the retention of the moisture in the outer part of the cistern.

Due to the position of the top of the riser path of the inwardly sweeping steam, the whirling currents encounter or abut that `partand must needs surmount lthe same to enter the orifice. Thus the liquid is certain to be thrown into the cistern and this relation is aided by the presence 'of the angular directing flange al8 opposite the edge all of the bowl. these relations of the parts to the whirling fluids result in maintaining maximum high pressures within the cistern a12. It will at once be recognized that such high pressure makes the direct return of the moisture to thelpoiler a safe proceeding. Except for this ng it would be necessary in all cases toydischarge the moisture through drains and traps external to the boiler, a practice that entails the loss of the heat in the intercepted water.

Some moisture particles carried by the steam are too vminute to yield promptly to the centrifugal action described and it is for this reason that the conical part a9 is of importance. Particles which impact the blades a5 are safely massed thereon and are delivered to the inner wall of the fixture but other particles tend to remain in suspension in the central portion of the whirling body or vortex generated wit-hin the body bv the presence of the tangential tuyre. Obviously, thepressure at the axis of the vortex is slightly less than that within theouter part of the chamber a3 andas the steam sweeps past the extended edge ofthe cone. many stray particles are released and expelled or displaced toward the axis and are4 5 caught in the partial void existing beneath Further and importantly.

pressure in the cistern and eject pipe 6,

'said cone.` Collecting in masses 'upon the under surface of the cone, the stray liquid takes on the whirling action ofthe vortex and is expelled tangentially, thus. joining the other liquidcollections upon the `inner surface of the bowl or body, a.

The effect of this vortex' defeating cone or element (a9) is very positive. In further explanation it may be pointed out that the small or stray quantities of substance` which reach and pass the edge of the cone as the result of whirling motion toward the outlet orifice are caught in the void occasioned by the presence ofthe cone within the vortex or whirling body of fluid, such particles being displaced inwardly by the streams 0f carrier fluid whirling toward the outlet. The individual particles, because of lack of mass, are intercepted -and temporarily held on the inner margin of the conical cup; and, as the individual particles become agglomerated with others and attain sufficient lmass they are ccntrifugally expelled from the inner margin of the cone, being there under the influence or impulsion of the vortex. Thus stray particles which escape accumulation in the major operation within the fixture and which might otherwise escape along the axis of the vortex are thus positively intercepted as they approach that axis and are centrifugally expelled toward and into the outer parts of the fixture, where they are absorbed into and disposed of along with the major accumulations or masses of separated I substances.

Incidentally, it is to be noted that the construction of the cone a9 as a separate part is most advantageous from the standpoint of manufacture. As shown,` it becomes a fixed part of the hub a6 yet does not interfere with or complicate the casting thereof. The sink a9 of the apex of the cone, while apparently a receptacle for "moisture, ensures the expulsion of moisture from the axis of the cone and thus prevents its orifice along that axis.

In addition to the advantages above named, this fixture has the obvious advantages of great simplicity, of the ready accessibility of all its internalsurfaces,vof a low altitude which enables its use in small steam spaces, of low cost, and is easy of installation.

detailed, a substitute tuyre of a barrel type has been depicted in Figs. 9 and 10. The use thereof entails `an increase of height but escape into the Further, the fixture is wholly. .v Vself cleaning and once installed requires no otherwise the body and bottom portions of the fixture remain as before described. -F or this reason the same reference letters a-re applied to those parts. Y The whirl promoting tuyre of Figs. 9 and tially positioned blades b2 and the lower ends ofthose blades support the bottom forming cone b3. By preference, the parts b and b3 are cast upon the ends of the blades b2 in the manner before described in speaking of the parts of the radial type tuyre.

The aggregate area of the tangential tuyres b4 greatly exceeds the area of the orifice a2 andthe fluid enters the chamber a3 against little resistance,

But it is nevertheless directed outward against the opposed wall of the bowl and is caused to rotate in the chamber a3 with sufficient velocity..to accomplish the lbefore described centrifugal separation of the entrained substances.

That this invention is capable of embodiment within a heavy walled pipe or line fixture is made evident by Fig. 11. Except for the preferred incorporation of a more capacious cistern portion, c, andthe usc of the flanged casing parts c and c2 the internal constructions remains as before described and this closed type fixture operates in the same manner. This line fixture may also be used successfully upon a horizontal axis and, by the extension of the eject nozzle c3 from the opposite side of the cistern portion, may l adapted .to separate entrained substances I even be adapted for use in an inverted or upgoing position.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A non-rotative centrifugal fixture adapted to separate entrained substances from fluid moving therethrough and comprising a separating bowl which is open at the top and has in its lower part a drain and a centrally positioned outlet element, the latter rising from the bottom ofthe bowl, in combination with a Whirl-promoting tuyre occupying said top of the bowl and forming its fluid inlet, and, said bowl containing an inwardly and downwardly pitched whirldamping flange that is positioned above its bottom and which terminates short of and below the top of said outlet element.

2. A non-rotative centrifugal fixture adapted to separate entrained substances from fluid moving`therethrough and comprising a separating bowl which is open at the top and has in its lower part a drain and a centrally positioned outlet element, the latter rising from the bottom of the bowl, in combination withv a whirlepromoting tuyre occupying said top of the bow-l and forming arfluid inlet of greater effective area than said outlet and, said bowl 'containing an inwardly and downwardly pitched whirling tuyre occupying damping flange that is positioned above its bottom and terminates short of and below the top of saidoutlet element. I

3. A non-rotative centrifugal fixture adapted to separate entrained substances from fluid moving therethrough and com-V prising a separating bowl lwhich* is open at the top and has in its lower part a drain and acentrally positioned outlet element, the latter rising from the bottom of the bowl and having a flaring top, in combination with a whirl promoting tuyre occupying said top of the bowl and forming its fluid inlet, and, said bowl containing an inwardly and downwardly pitched whirl-damping flange that is positioned abovey its bottom and terminates short of and below the flaring top of said outlet element.

4. A non-rotative centrifugal fixture adapted to separate entrained substances from fluid moving therethrough and comprising a separating bowl which is open at the top and has an annularly grooved bottom which contains a drain opening, in combination with an ontlet element rising centrally from the bottom of the bowl,.a whirl promoting tuyre occupying said .top of the bowl and forming its fluid inlet, and,.said bowl containing an inwardly and downwardly pitched whirldamping flange that is positioned above the groove in its bottom, and which terminates short of and below thev top of said outlet element. t .v

5. A non-rotative centrifugal 4fixture from fluid moving therethrough and comprising a separating chamber which is open at the top andl has an annularly grooved bottom whiclrcontains a drain opening in combination with an .outlet element rising centrally from the bottom of the bowl, a whirl-promotthe top of said bowl and forming its fluid inlet,- vortex-defeating means associated with said whirl-promoting tuyre, and an inwardly and downwardly pitched whirl-damping flange positioned above thegroove in its bottom and terminating short of'and below the top .of said outlet element. y

6'. A non-rotative centrifugal fixture adapted to separate entrained susbtances from fluid moving therethrough and comprising a separating chamber which is open at the top and has an annularly grooved bottom which contains a drain opening in combination with an outlet element rising centrally from the bottom of the bowl, a whirlpromoting tuyre -occupying the top of said bowl and forming a fluid inlet, a vortex-defeating cone associated with Vsaid whirl-promoti-ng tuyre opening toward said outlet, and an inwardly and downwardly pitched whirl-damping flange positioned above the groove in lts bottom and lterminating short of and below` the top of said outlet element.

adapted to separate entraine from fluid moving therethrou h and comprisf 7. A.. mami-evs 'ntrifu al fixture substances ing a separating chamber w ich is open at the to and has an annularly grooved bottom w ich contains a drain'opening in combination with anv outlet element rising centrally'from the bottom of the bowl, .a whirly romoting tuyreoccupyin the top 01Ev said Eowl and forming a fluid i et of greater effective area than said outlet vortex-defeating means associatedwith said whirl-promot ing tuyre, and an inwardly and downwardly pitched -whirl-dampin'g flange positioned vabove the groove in 1ts tom and terminating shortof and below the top of said outlet element. I

8. A non-rotativev centrifugal fixture adapted, to separate entrained substances from iln'idcmoving therethrou h and comprising a separating chamber w 'ch is 'open at the top and has an annularly grooved bottom which `contains a drain opening in combination with an outletelement rising centrall from the bottom of the bowl, a radial whir Eromoting tuyre occu'iying the to of said owl and forming a` uid inlet o greater eifective area than said outlet Iand opening toward said outlet, a vortex efeating cone associatedl with said whirl-promotingtuyre and aninwardl and downwardly pitched whirl-damping ange ositioned above the groove in its bottom an terminatingshort of and below the top of said outlet element.

9. A non-rotative centrifugal fixture adapted to separate entrained substances from fluid moving therethrough and'comprising a separating chamber w ich is o en at the top and has an annularly grooved ottom which contains a drain opening in combination with an outlet element rising centrall from the bottom of the bowl, a barreli-hape e top whirlromoting tlyre occupin ui inlet of of sai bowl and orminga greater eii'ective area than said outlet, and

opening toward said outlet, a vortex-defeating cone associated with said whirl-promoty ing tuyre, and an inwardly and downwardly pitched whirl-dampingo flange positioned vabove the groove in its tom and terminating short of and below vthe top of said outlet element. i v

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 28th da `of Janna 1931.

CHARLES G BERT wLEY. 

